
i 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. J 

# 

# 



I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. { 



HAND-BOOK 



INSTRUCTION 

f 

FOR 

The Type-Waiter, 

CONTAINING 

INDUCTIVE EXERCISES, 

ARRANGED WITH A TYPICAL GUIDE TO THE CORRECT 
USE OF THE FINGERS. 



By EDWARD F. UNDERHILL, 
Stenographer. 



OF CO.iS^ 

coP YRIG^'C^ 



NEW YORK: X^Of WA 
Evelyn T. Underhill. 

TRIBUNE BUILDING, 

1880. 



-if 



i s 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in tlie year 1880, 

By EDWARD F. UNDERHILL, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



r> 



3- 



INTEODUCTION. 



1. To operate the Type- writer, the student must 
■vjlearii to properly touch the keys, which, by the 
agency of the intervening mechanism, cause the 
imprint of the type to be affixed on the paper. 
Accuracy and rapidity in the manipulation and 
skill in the management and care of the in- 
strument, are essential to become an expert ope- 
rator, and these can be acquired by practice and ex- 
perience. The period required to attain the facility 
and precision needed for the practical uses of the in- 
strument will vary with the aptness of the learner 
and the time devoted to practice, and will also de- 
pend upon whether he has the aid of an experienc- 
ed and capable instructor, or a properly arranged 
text-book. Without such assistance, his early expe- 
rience will be more or less bewildering. The keys 
are not arranged in alphabetical order, but with a 
view to facility in the operation of the machine in 
its practical use. Hence, if the student begins his 
practice by copying miscellaneous matter — news- 
paper articles, essays, sermons, or legal docu- 
ments — his progress must be slow and tiresome ; 
because, with a numberless variety of combinations 
of letters to write, the locations of the keys on the 
key-board have not been fixed in the mind, and the 
fingers are slow and often confused in the effort to 
obey the mental summons. Therefore the necessity 
for an inductive method of instruction, by which, 
from the beginning of his practice, the learner will 



acquire the ability to write with precision and facil- 
ity each exercise as it is placed before him, before 
proceeding to the next. Thus, step by step, he will 
imperceptibly gain such a knowledge of the key- 
board as to be able almost unconsciously to 
touch the keys in their proper order in the forma- 
tion of words, until at last, the operation will have 
become as seemingly mechanical as the work of 
the professional copyist. 

The Grouping of Words. 

2. The construction and use of current language 
well adapt it for rudimentary exercises, arranged 
in conformity with the inductive method of teach- 
ing. A few hundred words comprise all but a 
mere fraction of those used in a given volume of col- 
loquial speech, and even of current written lan- 
guage. Such words, too, are susceptible of being 
distributed in groups, in which each word contains 
combinations of two or more letters common to 
all the others. The ability acquired to write a com- 
bination of letters in one word, is acquired for 
writing the same combination in nearly every other 
word in which it may occur in the language. It is 
therefore desirable, in arranging exerises for the 
learner's early practice, that only words of the most 
frequent occurrence be employed, and that those 
having initial letters in common be grouped to- 
gether. 

Compound Words. 

3. Again, there are words of frequent occurrence 
which are made by the joining together of two 



or more shorter words, each of which, having' been 
learned separately, no special practice is needed 
to be able to write them quickly when combined. 
Other words, too, are composed of a word in primi- 
tive form preceded or followed by a prefix or 
suffix, or both. Such adjunct syllables are largely 
used in the language and should form a group of 
exercises by themselves. They are relatively few 
in number, and the ability once acquired to write 
them separately with correctness and rapidity, 
their use, in actual practice as initial or terminal 
syllables, will follow naturally in connection with 
any words, without any conscious effort of the 
mind. 

Fingering. 

4. The proper touch of the fingers in the manipu- 
lation of the keys is an accomplishment which the 
student should aim to acquire from the beginning 
of his practice. It is difficult to give in words 
such explicit directions as will insure at once the 
requisite skill. And yet, the satisfactory opera- 
tion of the Type-writer largely depends upon the 
character of the touch. If soft and delicate, the 
imprint of the type on the paper will be faint and 
perhaps uneven. If violent and heavy, the out- 
lines of the letters will be marred, sometimes made 
double, and will often cause the interstices to be 
filled with a shade of the coloring matter on the 
ribbon. The proper touch is one between the two 
extremes in the force of the stroke, and perhaps can 
be best described as a quick and sharp, but not 
heavy stroke on the key. If, as the result of the 



touch, the letters are clean cut and approximate in 
appearance the print of a similar size in a book or 
pamphlet, the student may feel assured that he 
has properly graduated its force. But, if the let- 
ters have an irregular outline and a smeared ap- 
pearance, (if the types are clean and the machine 
in good order,) lie may safely conclude that his 
touch has been too heavy. And if the imprint is 
faint or uneven, (and the ribbon has not been too 
long in use,) it is equally certain that his touch has 
been too light. 

5. An exception to this general rule in respect 
to the force of the touch, applies to those keys 
which move the types for the smaller punctuation 
marks. A touch proper for the keys of the letters 
of the alphabet will cause the comma, period, hy- 
phen, dash and underscore, and, to a less degree, 
the semi-colon and colon to puncture the paper 
and give to the imprint exaggerated proportions. 
Hence, as a rule, with the small punctuation 
marks, and especially the comma and period, the 
touch should be made with a soft and delicate 
pressure of the finger. 

6. Two keys should never be touched at the same 
time, and the finger should be lifted from one be- 
fore another is struck. 

Use of the Right and Left Hands. 

7. In operating the Type-writer, the hands 
should be held in the same position as for playing 
the piano-forte. The following diagrams show 
the relative situations of the keys on the two va- 



rieties of Type-writers in common use. The line 
divides the keyboard into two nearly equal por- 
tions. The keys to the left of the line are touched 
with the fingers of the left hand, and those to the 
right of the line with the lingers of the right hand. 

The xo. 1 axd xo. 4 Type-writers. 
2 3 4 fr 6 \ 7 8 9 - , — 

Q W E E t\ Y U I O P : 

A S D F g\ H J K L M 

& Z C X V b\ N ! ; . ! 

The xo. 2 Type-writer. 
23 4 5 v 6 7 8 9 

q we r t \ y u i op 

k 1 in 



8. In writing a word, the keys nearest the divi- 
sion line of the key-board, if within the right 
division, should be touched with the index or right 
first finger; if within the left division, with the left 
first finger. Keys to the right of those thus 
touched by the right first finger, or to the left of 
those touched by the left first finger, should be 
touched with the second finger, if in such prox- 
imity as to admit of its being done with ease and 
facility. The third finger on the right hand may 




be advantageously used to touch the keys P and 
M, and occasionally others to near the extreme 
right; and the third finger on the left-hand to 
touch the keys for Q, A, and Z, and occasionally 
others near the extreme left. The space bar 
should be uniformly touched with the right third 
finger. 

9. In operating the No. 2 machine, when capital 
letters and certain of the punctuation marks are 
to be written, the " upper case " key should be 
pressed down with the left first fiuger, and be 
thus held while the fingers of the right hand 
touch the keys. 

10. In a few words in the language, letters so 
follow each other in the either division of the key- 
board, that the fingers of one hand cannot with 
ease and facility touch all of the keys for such let- 
ters. In such cases, the first finger of the right 
hand may be advantageously employed in aid of 
the left to touch a key in the left division, and the 
first finger of the left hand, to touch a key in the 
right division. Such interchange in the use of the 
fingers, is, however, very infrequent. 

11. The application of these general directions 
will be illustrated in the inductive exercises pre- 
pared for the student's early practice, so that, from 
the beginning, he will not be at a loss to determine 
the proper manner of using the fingers. 

Typical Index to Correct Fingering. 

12. The learner will observe in the exercises, that 
many of the words are printed in two and, in 



some instances, in three varieties of type — thus, 
roman, italic, and small capitals. This is to 
furnish him a guide, in his early practice, to the 
proper employment of the Angers in touching the 
keys, as follows: 

For roman or upright letters, use the first 
linger. 

For italic or slanting letters use the second 
finger. 

For small capital letters use the third finger. 

As explained under paragraph 8, the fingers of 
the left hand and the right hand are to be used in 
the left and right divisions of the key-board 
respectively. 

13. The practical application of these directions 
can be illustrated by the word " through," which 
in the exercises is printed " through.' 4 * The letters 
t and h being printed in roman type, the use 
of the first finger of the left hand is indicated for 
t and of the right hand for h, respectively. The 
r, being italic, the use of the left second finger is 
indicated, the key being close to the t, which has 
just been touched with the first finger of the left 
hand. The o being a small capital, the use of the 
third finger of the right hand is indicated, the 
key being near the extreme limit of the right 
division. The u being italic, the second finger of 
the same hand is indicated, it being situated at 
the left of the o, which has just been touched with 
the third. The g and h being roman, the use of 
the first finger of the left hand for the g and of the 
right hand for the h is indicated. 



14. Several of the groups of words arranged 
for practice are subdivided into two paragraphs, 
the second of which contains illustrations of words 
in which individual letters in the left division of 
the key board are, for ease and facility of writing, 
touched with the right first finger and in the right 
division with the left first finger, as explained under 
paragraph 10. In such words the use of the right 
first finger in the left division is indicated by an 
asterisk ( # ) and of the left first finger in the right 
division by an obelisk or dagger (f) following the 
letter. 

Method of Practice. 

15. The student should thoroughly read the pre- 
ceding statements and explanations until he has 
gained a knowledge of the principles and rules 
for his guidance in the operation of the machine. 
This accomplished, he may proceed to apply his 
knowledge in writing the words contained in the 
exercises. The first is the word " the," which is 
used more often than any other in the language. 
Touch the keys T, H and E in succession with 
the fingers typically indicated in the exercise, as 
explained in paragraph 12. Continue writing the 
word until eight lines on the paper have been 
filled with it, each time touching the space bar 
after the word. As precision and correctness 
should be the first aim of the learner, the keys 
should be touched with care and deliberation. The 
appearance of the imprint of the type on the 
paper should be observed to ascertain whether the 



force of the touch has been properly graduated as 
explained in paragraph. 4. Having practiced 
writing the word " the," as directed, he may pro- 
ceed with the next in order, the word " them," in 
the same manner; and so, with each successive 
word in the list, until the Angering for each is 
thoroughly learned. As he gains familiarity 
with the key-board, if he finds that less prac- 
tice is needed to write each word with accur- 
acy and facility, he may lessen the number of 
lines to be written ; but at the beginning of his 
practice he should fill the whole of the space 
stated. Avoid any effort to accelerate the speed of 
the touch which, in the slightest degree, impairs the 
accuracy and neatness of the work. The facility 
desired will be almost unconsciously acquired 
during the practice, and with it perfection of exe- 
cution. 

Prefixes and Suffixes. 

16. After each of the list of words has been 
thoroughly practiced, the student may proceed in 
the same manner with the list of prefixes and suf- 
fixes. When he shall have completed them, he will 
have gained sufficient facility to make him feel 
"quite at home" with the machine, and he may, 
if he desires, test his skill by writing a letter or 
copying a paper, and then critically observe the 
result of the effort. If it is not correctly done, he 
should resume his practice with the exercises, but 
lessening the number of times of writing each 
word. Especially should he practice those words in 
which he finds errors more liable to occur. 



10 
EXERCISES. 

WORDS. 

17. the them then they there their these this 
those though three through that than thank 
think thing thought thvoiv threw tea tell till 
time to too told towxrd two twice take took true 
truth try tried turn 

18. we week well ivent when what where 
whether which while who tvhole why was 
way will with wish work worth worZd worse 
worst ivould woman women 

wer*e 

19. an and any are arrive around as ask 
assure at about abZe act across account 
After ago again all allude allow almost 
a/so AlreAdy always aLone am among 
aMount add admit apart appear apply away 

ansiver* ar # r*aug*e af*t*er af*f*ect* af*r*aid 
ag*ree advHse advHce awav*e 

20. bad has hath have habit happy happen he 
her here bear baud held he\p hence him his 
high haw bouse hundred 

hfoM bfome hi ope 

21. so soon some sort sought see seek second 
sell seldom send sent settle she show 
should short shall say saw sake same sail 
said sAtisfy six since side sign sight similar 
single sit situAtion such sure suit sub/eet sub- 



11 

stAnce subsequent suggest support suppose sus- 
pect surprise sufficient stow small speak special 
sqaAre stay stAid step still stop stood strong 
serv*e sev*en sev*erA/ st*at*e s**ar*J* 

st*reet* st*v*engih 

22. new near next need necessAry nine neither 
never neighbor night now nor not no none 
notice nothing name number numerous 

23. be been before behind because begin began 
began be/ief believe beside best better between 
beyond bad balance big book bought breAft 
broke bring brought by busy business 

24. is it if in into indeed iudivuhwl independ- 
ent infer influence inform ideA intend inquire 
instead instant interest intelligent hiprove hi- 
portxnt impossible ivnviediAte 

25. of off often oh or on one only other our 
out oirn ought over occur occasion office object 
oblige observe order opinion orrfinAry oppor- 
tunity 

26. can cannot call came cAse carry catch 
caught cause cent certain eou7d come coMMon 
company commence chance change charge chose 
choo.se city claim conceive concern conclude 
confess confident consequence consider continue 
convince converse convenient corner correct cost 
coant county country course 

car*e 



12 

27. each easy eight either else end en- 
deAvor enjoy ensue enter entire enough 
even ever every equal especiAZ essentiAl es- 
tAb/ish esteem event evident exAmine excel- 
lent exchAHge except expect explAin express 
extend extensive 

eArt*7i* eng*ag*e ef # f*ect # ex*act ext*reme 
ex£ # ra 

28. yet yes 

yfou ytonder y*ear* y*est*erdAy 

29. do down day date deal deAv deem dec/Are 
defend desire deterMine did different 
difficult dischArge discover disZike distAnt 
distinguish dollar doubt do^en due eZaty 
during double 

d*ear* deg*ree deserv*e 

30. up upon us use usuaZ useful under until 
unless 

31. far fair fashion family first for fore 
former forth four fourth from freQaent full 
farther fix fine final find found friend 

f*art*7**er f*ast* flavor f*ew 

32. very vaZue view 

33. me mere mean met meet my may many 
made Main wake man manner march mark 
matter Mine Minute mite mist Mind more 
Morning most moment Month Money much must 

34. keep kept kind know knowledge knew 



13 

35. gAther get generxl gentlemen give glad 
go got gone good grand 

g*av*e g*r*eat* 

30. last later latter less led lead left leave 
learn let tetter length lay lain lady late large 
like life lieu Line live little liable Kberty low 
look Long hick 

37. ran rate rAther rAise rexl receive refer 
refuse re/Ate reMAin remember regnlxr recollect 
recommend render repeAt reply report return 
request require respect represent rise right 
room round run 

r*ead r*eady r*eason r*e*<jfar*d 

38. pay paid past pass part particular perhAps 
person -per annum per cent perform per- 
ceive period permit people place pleAse pleAsure 
point possess possible positive power practice 
previous prefer prepxre present pretend prmcipAl 
principle probxble produce profess profit proof 
proper propose prove put public purpose pursue. 

perf*ect* 

39. gait guite Quiet quick Question quarter 

40. Just job jom judge 

PREFIXES. 

41. ad de dis en enter ex fuZ im inter intro 
mis re recog recom sub super sur un 

t*rans 

42. bi/ity bZe body cede ceed cept ceive cess cise 



14 
SUFFIXES. 

43. elude cord enve cute cy der duce duct for 
fnl fuse fy hood ing ism ject lude like mend 
ment mise mit ness pair pave pel plain plete jply 
port pose press prise Quire ry scions scribe 
sorption self selves ship s\on struct stmction 
tain tend tion tute ty vent volition vide vious 
vise vision wise 

44. eat*e g*ree g*ress t*ract* t*r«ct*ion t*ect* 
t*ect*ion v*ade v*ene v*«rs« version v*ert 
war*d 

45. When a suffix is written in connection with a 
word, it will sometimes happen that the situation 
of the key touched for the last letter in the word 
will make it preferable to vary the fingering- of 
the suffix from that indicated in the exercises. 
In such cases the fingering should be adapted to 
the situation of the keys as explained in para- 
graph 8. 

Further Practice. 

46. When the student has so far practiced the 
foregoing excercises as to be able to write them 
neatly a^d correctly at a speed equal to his em- 
ployment of the pen, he may proceed to practice 
the writing of miscellaneous matter. If a priuted 
record of testimony taken in a legal proceeding 
can be procured, it will furnish exercises to which, 
from his previous exercises, the transition will be 
easy and natural. If not, newspaper articles, 
which are always at hand, may be used. It will 



15 

be found that a practice of two or three days will 
suffice to enable him to copy such matter with 
little or no hesitation. If he can write it without 
errors, he is prepared to make himself useful in 
any office where the services of a copyist are re- 
quired ; and, with the practice which such an 
employment will afford, his facility of writing will 
gradually increase until he shall have attained 
his maximum speed after a few r months of actu- 
al experience. In copying plain manuscript or 
print, the expert operator can easily write from 40 
to 60 words per minute, while in writing from dic- 
tation, a speed of from 60 to 80 words is quite 
common ; and there are instances in which 100 
words and even more have been written from the 
reading of another. 

Steno-Pkinting. 
47. But the Type-writer can be still further util- 
ized by the skilful operator in the direction of 
rapid writing to the extent of making him the 
equal of a stenographic clerk or secretary, for the 
purposes of receiving the dictation of letters, legal 
papers, official reports, &c. Under the title of 
" Steno-printing", the author has prepared a sys- 
tem of abbreviation for use on the Type-writer, by 
means of which, the expert with a few weeks' 
study and practice in writing from dictation, can 
attain a speed of from 100 to 150 words per 
minute, and sufficient for all the uses of a system 
of short-hand, except for reporting the proceedings 
of trials in open court, or the rapid utterances of 
speakers in public assemblies. Matter thus writ- 



1<> 

ten in abbreviated form is perfectly legible, and 
can afterwards be transcribed in full on the type- 
writer or with the pen. 

The Duplication of Manuscript. 

48. Where more than one copy of a paper is re- 
quired, others may be made, by the Type-writer, 
simultaneously with the original. To secure the 
best results a thinner paper should be used. If 
an original and a duplicate only are wanted, place 
between two of the sheets another of semi-carbon- 
ized paper with its carbon face against the upper 
sheet. Thus adjusted, the paper may be placed 
in the machine and the work be proceeded with 
as in writing on a single sheet. The manuscript 
on the low 7 er sheet will be made from the ribbon ; 
that on the upper sheet from the carbon. If still 
thinner paper be employed and arranged in the 
same manner with alternate sheets of carbonized 
paper, three, ibur, and even five copies may be 
made at the same operation. 

Lithography. 

49. But where many copies are required, the 
lithographic art is an important auxiliary of the 
Type- writer. By the employment of a ribbon 
prepared with lithographic ink, matter written 
upon the machine on transfer paper may be 
transferred to the stone, and from it thousands of 
fac-similes of the type-written manuscript be 
printed, each closely approximating the neatness 
of ordinary print. 



Evelyn T. Underhill, 



MANUFACTURER OF 



Type-Writer Ribbons & Lithographic Transfer Paper, 



AND DEALER IN 



STATIONERY 

Adapted to the Uses of Stenographers and Type -Writers. 



STENO-PRINTING, 

A System of Abbreviations adapted to the Type-Writer, to make 
it available for Stenographic uses. 
By Edward F. Underhill, . . . Price, $1 50 



HAND-BOOK OF INSTRUCTION, 

For the Type-Writer, with Exercises for Elementary Practice. 

By Edward F. Underhill, . . . Price, 25 cents. 



FAC-SIMILES OF COURT REPORTS, 

For the use of Students in practicing Phonography and the 

Type-Writer, . . . Price per 200 Folios, 50 cents. 



Orders supplied by mail, post-paid, on receipt of price. 

EYELYN T. UNDERHILL, Publisher, 

TRIBUNE BUILDING, NEW YORK. 



SCHOOL 



OF 






TRIBUNE BUILDING, 



NEW YORK. 




EVELYN T. UNDERHILL, 



PRINCIPAL. 



